Blessings on a Sixfold
by WritingIsMyDream
Summary: Craig and his new wife are having trouble starting a family. But with some help of medicine they get the family that they wanted & a whole lot more.
1. Chapter 1

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A/N: Yes another story, no other updates. Sorry

Craig Manning sat on the bed with his hands folded. He was shaking and that wasn't because he was shirtless. Actually it was because his wife was taking the pregnancy test that she had bought at the drugstore that day. She had missed her period and she was hoping that she was pregnant not irregular.  
Their adopted children, Cody a three-year-old from Brazil and Kerry a one-year-old from Vietnam were with Joey.  
The timer rang and hearing Misty's sobs in the bathroom he knew the results. He looked in on her and she was sitting on the floor next to the bathtub. "I thought I was, Craig," she said.  
"I know, Honey," he replied, walking over to her and picking her up.  
Misty wiped her eyes. "I guess we're not meant to have children," she said. "Just meant to save them, right?"  
"Yeah," he said. "I guess. But we'll get pregnant. We'll have our own children for Cody and Kerry."  
Misty blinked back some tears that were threatening to fall and hugged him. "I better get to work."  
"You sure?"  
"Can't skip because I'm not pregnant."  
He nodded. "I better get ready, too."  
Misty wiped her eyes and walked into their bedroom and got ready.

"Ready?" Craig asked into the intercom.  
The group of teenagers nodded.  
"3…2…go," he replied, starting the recording session for Toronto's new band _Putrid Acid_.  
He sat back and listened to their first song for their demo "Hell Yeah!"  
"_Putrid Acid_?" Marco del Rossi asked. "Where do they come up with names anymore?"  
Craig shrugged. "Hell if I know."  
"What's wrong?" he asked.  
Craig shrugged. "Another negative."  
"Ouch," Marco said.  
"What's wrong?" he asked. "Is it me?"  
"You had no problem getting girls pregnant in school," Spinner Mason said, spraying a can of spray cheese into his mouth.  
"Shut up, Spin," he said. "It's not nice to talk about your wife like that."  
"Like what?"  
"Like she's a slut," Marco said. "Get off the spray cheese. No ventilation in this room."  
"She's not a slut," Spinner said. "But she did give me two beautiful girls." He looked at the picture of his two daughters, April (three) and Dina (one).  
Marco sat down in a chair. "Dave and I got the kids this weekend," he said. "I think they're starting to get use to me." Marco's boyfriend, Dave was married to his best friend who accepted him being gay so they could have children. Haven is his three-year-old, shy with little blond curls (which painfully reminded Marco of Dylan) and his two-year-old twins, Harvey and Addison (a boy and a girl), each with sparkling blue eyes and straight brown hair.  
The door opened and Jimmy rolled in the room in his wheelchair. "Sorry, I'm late," he said. "The girls had early dance classes. What's up?" Jimmy and Hazel had two girls of their own. Brandy is twelve and a Grade 7 at Degrassi and McKenna is six and very hyper.  
"They're performing," Marco said.  
"For five whole minutes," Craig said.  
"Of just screaming 'Hell yeah!'" Spinner replied. "Why did we let them take up our time?"  
"No idea," Craig replied, shaking his head.  
"I'm glad I missed it," Jimmy said.  
"Lucky," the three of them said in unison.

"Negative?" Ellie asked, seeing the look on her best friend's face. She handed her a cappuccino.  
Misty nodded and sat down.  
"Just keep trying," Ellie said.  
"We have tried," Misty replied. "Since before even Cody was born and I wasn't there for his birth or Kerry's. I want to have a baby and actually be there when it breathes for the first time."  
"I know." Ellie sipped at her cappuccino. "Have you talked to your doctor?"  
"He suggested fertility pills but…they cost out the ass."  
"Sean and I can help," she said.  
Misty shook her head.  
"Come on, Mist," Ellie said. "We'd do anything for the godparents of our children." Sean and Ellie had two children of their own, Charlie who is three and Maya who is one.  
"Thanks," Misty said, shaking her head. "But no."  
Misty looked at her watch. "Let's go," she said. "Before Caitlin sends a search party out for us."  
Ellie smiled and she stood up with her briefcase.


	2. Chapter 2

Misty twisted the wadded up tissue in her hands. She wiped tears from her eyes. She and Craig were going to have their baby. One way or another.  
She was on her way over to Paige's (via subway) where she was going to "save" her from her three kids while her husband Matt was at a teaching conference. They of course, would leave the girls (all ranging from 9-3), while Misty and Paige met up with Hazel, Alex, and Ellie at their bar (it was called "their" bar because they were there every weekend at their usual table).  
Misty got off the subway and walked the block to Paige's house and stepped over the tricycles and a new pink bike with training wheels.  
"Girls! Settle down!" Paige was screaming from inside the house over the squeals of little girls. "Nan, don't hang on that. Quinn, let go of Dakota's hair. Quinn! Nancy! Dakota, stop screaming."  
Misty rapped on the door.  
"I'll get it!" came Nancy's nine-year-old energetic voice.  
Before Paige could object or say anything else Nancy had thrown the door open. "Misty!" she exclaimed, throwing herself at Misty's knees. A chorus of "Misty" (well, "Missy" from Dakota) erupted from in the house followed by little feet and before Misty knew what was happening three little girls were clung to her legs.  
Paige sighed walking over to Misty. "Thank God," she said. She had her hair in a messy ponytail. "Come in."  
Misty trudged in with the three girls on her legs. "God, Paige you look like shit," she said.  
"I feel like it," she replied. "I'll be ready in a minute. We'll leave once Dylan gets hear."  
"Of course," Misty said. She looked around the house. There were clothes that looked like they had once been neatly folded but were now all over the living room and the sink was full of dishes.  
"This house was clean," Paige said. "Hon, if you don't mind could you fold those clothes for me again?"  
"No problem," Misty replied, she picked up a pair of Matt's boxers and blushing she threw them in the clothes hamper. They were the gag pair that Paige had gotten him for Valentine's Day with the big red hearts and lips all over them.  
By the time Misty was finished folding clothes Dylan had arrived and Paige emerged from her bedroom after a quick shower with her blond hair in loose waves and a black dress. Her make-up was perfect, making her look like the old Paige.  
"You have my cell number," Paige said, looking at Dylan who nodded and battled with his little nieces. "Um…Matt's in a conference and his hotel number is by the phone and…"  
"Paige, shut up and get the hell out of here, will you?" Dylan asked, pointing to the door.  
"Thanks, Dyl. You're a doll," she said, walking over and kissing her brother on the cheek and turning and walking out with Misty.

"The usual round for you girls?" Bud, the bartender asked.  
"Yeah," Alex said. Bud smiled and she rolled her eyes as he walked away.  
"Alex, be nice," Ellie, said. "He's your brother-in-law, he gets us free beer."  
Alex shrugged. "It doesn't mean I really have to be nice to him."  
Bud brought the round for them and Paige held up her glass. "Let's get so wasted tonight that Alex will perform 'Hit Me Baby (One More Time)' on karaoke."  
"I'll never get that wasted," Alex said.  
"You said that the last time when you jumped on stage and sang 'Genie in the Bottle'," Hazel said, laughing.  
"We swore that we would never repeat that," Alex said, pointing a finger at her.  
"I thought we swore that we would never repeat the time you danced on the table with your panties on your head," Misty said.  
"That wasn't me," Alex said. They looked over at Paige who was twisting her hair around her finger.  
"What?" she asked. "We were in college. Drugs were also involved."  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Alex replied. "Let's toast to something."  
"To our health," Hazel suggested.  
"We always toast that," Paige said.  
"I have it," Misty said, picking up her glass. "To the kids. If it wasn't for them we wouldn't be needing to get drunk off our asses on the weekend."  
"To the kids," the others said, laughing and then downing their drinks while Alex waved Bud over for another round.  
"So what's going on?" Hazel asked.  
Paige went on and on about Matt being away; Ellie talked about Maya learning a word from Uncle Tracker and she and Sean trying to break her of it; Hazel talked about the girls' recital coming up ("You guys are coming right?"), and Alex talked about getting another beer.  
"Misty?" Paige asked. "You?"  
"I took a pregnancy test this morning," she said. She bit her bottom lip. "I'm not pregnant."  
"Oh, Honey," Paige said. She reached over and put her arm around her. "It'll be ok. You and Craig will have a baby. But be happy with the two you've got and hope that Kerry goes through the terrible two's fast."  
Misty looked at her and then smiled and finally burst out laughing.  
A couple of rounds later Alex was on the stage singing _Lady Marmalade_ with Hazel, Ellie, and Paige, while Misty went to call Craig.

Craig was lifting Kerry out of the tub when the phone rang. He picked up the cordless beside him. "Hello?" he asked, moving his head trying to prevent Kerry from taking the phone from him.  
"Mama," Kerry said.  
"Yeah, it's Mama," Misty replied.  
Craig smiled. "What's up?" he asked.  
"I'm totally drunk," Misty said. "Alex is bumping and grinding on stage to _Lady Marmalade_."  
"Ew, that's an image I need to get out of my head."  
Misty laughed. "Craig, I want to have a baby," she said.  
"I know you do," he said.  
"Let's get fertility pills," she replied.  
"What the hell for?" Craig asked, as he put a clean diaper on Kerry and dressing her in her pajamas.  
"Because, it's me. It's not you. Please," she said. "My biological clock is ticking so loud you can hear it over Alex's drunk singing."  
He sighed. "When you get home we'll talk about it," he said.  
"Ok," she replied.  
"Love you."  
"Love you, too."  
She hung up and Craig looked down at Kerry who looked up at him with her big brown eyes. He smiled when a dimpled grin crossed her face. He picked her up and carried her to the rocking chair where he rocked her to sleep and himself as well.


	3. Chapter 3

Misty woke up on Alex's couch with two-year-old Bennett (Alex's daughter) sitting next to her. "Wake up," Bennett whispered in a singsong voice.  
"I'm up," Misty said, repeating the same singsong tone.  
Misty sat up they had taken a cab back to Alex's and all crashed at her place. Paige was curled up in a ball on the floor, Ellie was asleep on the armchair, Hazel was lying next to Paige and Alex was in her bed. Misty fumbled into the bathroom and splashed water on her face and went and helped Bennett fix her breakfast.  
Alex came in totally hung over. "You drank the same as us and you're fine?" she asked.  
Misty shrugged. "I took some medicine before we left the bar last night. It prevents hangovers."  
"Shit give me one of those pills," she said.  
"They're in my purse." She jerked her head to wear her purse was lying on the table next to Bennett.  
Alex reached in and found them and took them. She smiled at Bennett. "Good breakfast?" she asked.  
Bennett nodded. "Better than Daddy's cooking," she said, grinning.  
Alex smiled and ruffled up her daughter's hair and pulled down a box of cereal and poured some into a bowl. When the others woke up (all hung over), Misty gave them some of the pills and they sat down at the table while Bennett went into the living room to watch cartoons.  
David walked into the house and by the time he stepped into the house he and Alex were fighting. Misty grabbed her things and took off to meet the subway home.

Craig had made an appointment for Misty to see the doctor the next day to find out about the fertility pills. He had also arranged for Brandy Brooks to baby-sit.  
"Hey," he said, smiling at her when she walked in and handing her Kerry. "Thanks for coming over."  
"It's Saturday, I have no life," she said, smiling.  
He smiled and turned to the stairs. "Misty, hurry up," he said.  
"I'm coming!" she replied.  
When she walked downstairs she smiled at Brandy, she had Jimmy's eyes and Hazel's smile. "Thanks for watching the kids," she said.  
"It's no big deal," Brandy said. "I love watching Cody and Kerry."  
"They love you," Misty replied. She kissed Kerry on the cheek. "Cody's asleep so when he wakes up just give him something to eat and we'll be back soon."  
"Ok," Brandy replied.  
"Numbers are on the fridge," Craig said, walking out the door with his wife.  
Brandy nodded and waited until their car had left before turning to Kerry. "Let's go watch TV," she said. "Ok?"  
Kerry grinned and Brandy carried her into the living room and sat down on the floor with her.

Misty sat in shock as the doctor told her how much the pills cost. "That much?" she asked.  
He nodded.  
"Wow," Craig said. That was enough to send Cody and Kerry both to college. "I mean I have some money but not that much."  
Misty bit her bottom lip. Money was getting in her way now of ever having a child and she wasn't going to let it.  
She jumped up and walked out. She didn't want to the doctor to see her crying. Craig ran out after her and put his arms around her waist. "Misty," he said. "If I have to work more than I have to I will." He turned her to face him. "Look at me baby." She looked up at him and he wiped her tears away. "We're going to have a baby of our own. Somehow. I promise."  
She nodded. When Craig promised her something he always kept it.


	4. Chapter 4

"How much do you need?" Sean asked, wiping the grease off of his hands.  
"How did you know?" Craig asked, raising an eyebrow.  
"Misty and Ellie are women; they talk," he said.  
"You don't have to give us any money."  
"I want to," he replied. He pulled out his wallet. "How much do you need?"  
Craig mumbled the estimate of the pills **(A/N: I don't know the exact number so I'll just keep typing like this)** and Sean's eyes widened. "But I have most of it," he replied.  
"You're my kids' godfather," he said. He pulled out some money and handed it to Craig who looked at it hesitantly. Sean folded it up and stuffed it into Craig's t-shirt pocket.  
"You'll be the godfather of this baby," Craig replied.  
"I was hoping you'd say that," Sean said, smiling. "Could you hand me that wrench?"  
Craig picked up a wrench off of the tool bench and handed it to Sean. He and Misty were going to have their baby.

"Hon, we want you to be happy," Paige said, thrusting the envelope at Misty. Misty's "drinking buddies" as they were called had taken up money after Misty left and Ellie told them about Misty's situation.  
"Yeah," Alex said, with Bennett on her hip. "Take it. All that I could give is in there."  
"Brandy even pitched in," Hazel said, smiling. "She loves Cody and Kerry to death and she wants another little Manning to take care of."  
Misty started to cry and Ellie hugged her. "You'll soon have your own baby," she said.  
"Yeah," Misty said. "My own, baby."

With their friend's help Misty and Craig bought the pills and a couple of months later they were in the doctor's office waiting for the results of Misty's pregnancy test.  
"If it's negative," Misty said. "I'll kill myself."  
"No you won't," Craig replied. "I won't let you."  
She looked at him and smiled. He was sitting on the table next to her and she leaned her head against his chest.  
The door opened and the doctor walked in. He looked up and smiled. "Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Manning. You're pregnant."


	5. Chapter 5

That weekend at the bar Misty decided to tell her friends. "A round for you ladies?" Bud asked.  
"Um, not me," Misty said. "A soda will be fine."  
He looked at her with a crooked eyebrow raised.  
"I'm pregnant. I can't drink."  
Paige, Hazel, and Ellie squealed and Alex covered her ears. "Congratulations Misty!"  
"Get the lady a soda," Alex said. "And a round for the rest of us."  
He nodded and took off to get the round. When they came, Alex toasted. "To Misty and the little Manning," she said, grinning.  
"To the little Manning," Ellie, Paige, Hazel, and Misty said, clinking their glasses together.

"Whoa!" Spinner exclaimed as he got a strike in bowling. It was "Downtown Sasquatch" (minus Jimmy who was keeping score) to even it out against "The Zits Remedy".  
Spinner did a humiliating dance that made Marco want to cry from laughing and Craig to roll his eyes.  
Snake was next and Spinner sneezed making the bowling ball go into the gutter. He stood up and glared at Spinner. "Sorry, Mr. S," Spinner said.  
"Sure," Snake replied. He bowled again and got a 7-10 split.  
Next up was Craig. He picked up his bowling ball that had Cody and Kerry written on it. He was so proud of his kids that he had their names put on his bowling ball. "You know," he said, as he swung back and let the ball go. "There's going to be another name on that ball soon." He got a strike as he turned around.  
It took a second for it to trigger (a little longer of course for Spinner). Marco's eyes widened. "Are you serious?" he asked. "You and Misty are going to have a baby?"  
"Seriously?" Spinner asked. "Congratulations!"  
Joey was freaking out. "I'm going to be a grandfather. For real?" he asked. "Not adopted?"  
Craig nodded and Joey let out a warrior whoop and everyone turned to stare at them. "I'm going to be a grandfather!" he exclaimed. Applause broke out in the bowling alley. He pointed to Craig. "He's going to be the father!" More applause. Craig turned away embarrassed.


End file.
